Communication headsets are becoming more and more widely used. Especially, small Bluetooth headsets to be used with cellular phones have become increasingly popular the recent years.
A modern headset is a small compact unit with small operating buttons on the surface. In order to change mode of the headset, e.g. switching the headset on/off or answering a telephone call, the user typically presses a small momentary button. As the headset is a small unit, the button is often very small and it can be cumbersome to press it correctly. Thus, it is desirable to provide switching function of a headset without this disadvantage.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,046,799 discloses a headset with a pivotally mounted ear hook and an activation switch that activates the headset when the ear hook is in an open position and deactivates the headset when the ear hook is in a closed position.
WO 2008/145127 discloses a headset with a turnable speaker tower wherein the headset can be switched on and off by turning the speaker tower about an axis. According to an embodiment, an ear hook can be attached to the speaker tower. When the ear hook is arranged for right ear use, the ear hook is turned into a compact position, when the headset is switched off. This is very advantageous, as the headset takes up less space. Furthermore, the risk of unintended switching “on” is small, as it requires that the ear hook must be turned into an active and less compact position. However, when the ear hook is arranged for left ear use, the ear hook is not turned into a compact position when the headset is switched off. Thus, the ear hook points away from the headset housing, which is disadvantageous, if the user wants to keep the headset in his pocket or the like. Furthermore, the risk of unintended switching “on” can be higher when the ear hook is not kept in a compact position.